


and the world's too heavy for your shoulders

by Starborn_Sound



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Angst, Gen, Major Xenoblade Chronicles Spoilers, Sakurai more like SakuWHY, Self-Indulgent, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Temporary Character Death, World of Light (Super Smash Brothers), Xenoblade Chronicles Spoilers, but i'm gonna write a chapter for most of the characters, galeem is just thanos squared, i literally just vomited a bunch of xenoblade spoilers onto a google doc and called it a day, i was right the second chapter isn't as spoilery, kirby kirby kirby he's the star of the show, the first chapter is just shulk, the other chapters aren't gonna be as spoilery, things just be like that sometimes, this is just me writing the character deaths
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-19 23:55:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16544792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starborn_Sound/pseuds/Starborn_Sound
Summary: Galeem has won. Almost everyone is dead, and the fate of the multiverse now rests on a small pink puffball. A small pink puffball who's going to save the entire world with a smile and power-up at the ready.Of course, we all know this already. What we don't know is what everyone else was thinking during the moments before their temporary deaths.Let's look into the mind of each Smasher and see exactly what their thought process was before they were taken by the light.





	1. and you try, but you never cut deep enough

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just Shulk and a bunch of Xenoblade Spoilers so if you don't want that skip this. I wrote this in like 10 minutes so it's probably pretty bad but nfkjanfkjbg Ultimate is just giving me a lot of Feelings™. Thanks Sakurai.

If there was one rule of the universe that was more important than the others, it was that your future can't be decided by anyone but you. The passage of fate works in mysterious ways, Shulk knew that better than anyone, but in the end, it was always up to you.

 

It appeared that rule stretched to the whole multiverse, as well. Back when he had refused the powers of a God and was just getting used to the new world he and his friends created, together, back when he was so much more powerful than he knew but still so inexperienced, he learned that lesson fast when his whole world flipped on its head once more, this time in the form of a letter. It was odd how one letter could contain so much, could lead to so much, but once again Shulk’s whole world grew before he knew it.

 

He looked at the light in front of them, the winged being giving unholy screeches as it pushed them back, then he looked around at all his friends, each and every one determined to topple this threat like every threat before, each and every one strong and different in their own beautiful ways but together as one.

 

The future is a fickle thing, but he'd be damned if he'd let anyone take it away.

 

The Monado sat unsheathed at his side, his hands gripping it tightly, waiting for the creatures next move. Something big was coming, everyone could sense that, and they needed every bit of power they could muster to win. But just as he was about to lift his weapon in a more prepared stance, his head felt fuzzy and his vision tinted blue, his surroundings slowed and grayed out. Anyone else would stumble, but Shulk was quite used to this. A vision. An opportunity to change the future.

 

_ The being they were facing released an explosion of light from all direction, beams racing towards them at an alarming rate. Shulk watched as it enveloped his friends and they  _ **_screamed,_ ** _ screams of terror and pain and utter shock and disbelief and they disintegrated into  _ **_nothing._ ** _ Was he screaming too? He couldn't know for sure. The blue and gray that tinted his visions became filled with blinding yellow and the sounds, usually slightly muffled, wouldn't even grant him that mercy as the screams, from him or his companions he wasn't sure, granted his ears and shook the whole foundation of the ground as he, too, was enveloped in the light and suddenly knew nothing but  _ **_pain._ **

 

He stumbled when the vision ended, panting. That couldn't be the future that was destined for them. The people surrounding him, his friends, fellow fighters, and companions, saw the blue glow fade from his eyes and the pure, unadulterated horror that replaced them, and Shulk didn't even have to say anything because they already knew what that expression had to mean.

 

His mind raced as their foe prepared to release that light. There  _ had  _ to be a way to stop it. He wouldn't sit back and watch his friends die when he knew it would happen beforehand, not again,  _ it was bad enough with Fiora not again- _

 

He wished Alvis was here, he'd know what to do, he always did, but the computer disappeared after the creation of the new world. Their world.

 

The world he'd never get to see again.

 

And nobody would even know what happened.

 

Or maybe they would. This thing, the light, it wouldn't stop after getting them, would it? They, the Smashers, were the force of good their multiverse relied on. With them out of the way, nothing would stop the world from simply ending. It would move on and consume everything, and they would see it and know it must have gotten him too,  _ and he didn't even get to say goodbye. _

 

He raised the Monado and put all his energy into a Monado Shield, but he knew it wouldn't make a difference. This time, he didn't scream, he closed his eyes and listened and  _ thought. _

 

He thought of Sharla, her endless wisdom and enthusiasm, her determination to find the one she loved and her slow transition to finding love elsewhere. He thought of her heart, her strength, her expert healing prowess, and her love for her brother and friends turned family.

 

He thought of Riki, the heropon with a righteous heart, exceptional kindness and smart observations hidden under his layers of comedic moments and oblivious appearance. He thought of his loyal juxtaposition and true bravery, and all the things that made him a great partner, father, and friend.

 

He thought of Melia, her ability to stay strong despite the whole world wanting to see her break, her ability to smile and find happiness in her new friends despite her entire world collapsing around her, her whole family dying or betraying her, her whole species turning into mindless Telethia while she could do nothing but watch. He thought about how she was so strong despite being so broken, how strong she was for letting them in to help her become okay again.

 

He thought of Dunban, who wasn't his dad or older brother but might as well have been, who was there for him when he grew up and when he learned to grow up a second time, who understood the deep sadness and anger he felt at Dickson's betrayal. He thought of how much he looked up to him and how he never let him down, and how he wouldn't even get to say goodbye.

 

But most importantly, he thought of Reyn and Fiora, his two best friends, one of which turned girlfriend but never losing their connection as a trio. The two who were there for him through thick and thin, who stayed by his side when he died and when he just about felt like he was dead, who he was so, so grateful for.

 

When Shulk was taken by the light, he didn't think of the pain. Instead, he thought of the memories he made, and how, no matter what, at least they got to make their own future.

 

Simultaneously, somewhere worlds away, six friends looked towards the sky and felt a pang of deep loss for reasons they didn't yet understand.


	2. and you can't run from your regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Sonic and Pikachu's turns to die! Since I didn't put the obligatory Ryan Reynolds joke in the chapter itself, it's going here. Guess Pikachu really did want to be DEADpool.
> 
> Too soon?
> 
> Too bad.

Sonic, as he would be quick to tell you, was good at a long of things. He was good at coming up with snarky responses, kicking egg-shaped ass, avoiding certain rose-tinted affections, and he was 98% sure he held the record for the number of chili-dogs eaten in one sitting by a long shot.

 

All of that, as impressive as it may be (seriously, how filling can one chili-dog be), was dwarfed by his speed. Sonic, as his name implies, took an excessive amount of pride in how utterly fast he was, and his pride wasn't misplaced. He might as well have been the fastest creature in the multiverse.

 

_ But, in the end, he was still too damn  _ **_slow._ **

 

“Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” the hedgehog taunted, staring up at the hands and core and waiting for them to make their move. “Master Hand really needs to get a-” he snorted. “Handle on things.”

 

“Chuu,” the speedster heard, looking over his shoulder to see a small yellow mouse groaning in response. Pikachu gave Sonic a glare almost as if to say “now is not the time.”

 

“Sorry, buddy,” Sonic responded, still chuckling, before turning to face the threat once again. Pikachu was cute, powerful, and friendly, something the Mobian could definitely get behind. They had their fair share of friendly moments during their times as Smashers, but it would never hurt to hang out more.

 

The blue hedgehog was pulled out of his musings by Marth, who shouted something Sonic really couldn't hear from that distance. News got around, though, and the Mobian nodded as he spread it. Ten of them was easy as pie.

 

_ But, in the end, it wasn't.  _

 

Suddenly, Sonic was running, picking up speed but not nearly as fast as he could, looking for the others. Watching them  _ die.  _ Taking out ten hands was easy, hell, he's taken out hundreds of robots at once before, but light? You cant attack light. Especially not light that kills you when you touch it.

 

It was kind of funny, in hindsight. Sonic was amazing at running, and in the end, it was all he could do.

 

Until he heard a shout.

 

“Pi Pikachu,” Pikachu cried out, picking up speed as well. He must have been using a quick attack. It wasn’t enough, it wouldn't be enough. So much for hanging out later. It looked like the two of them wouldn't get a later after all.

 

No, he couldn't think like that. What would Tails and Knuckles think? Amy wouldn't give up; Sonic still had to prove to Shadow he was better than him. Pikachu, it looked like, must have been having similar thoughts. Nobody actually knows which Pikachu this is, if he's wild or has a trainer or if he's from a game or anime, but he still had people he loved, people who loved him.

 

If the universe tells you that you have no choice but to die, Sonic learned, you spit in its face and tell it you'll never stop running.

 

So he reached out. He felt himself slow down, just a little, and Pikachu sped up, just a little, and they reached out their hands (or paws, in Pikachu’s case) to the point where they were inches away from touching-

 

And to the point where Sonic could clearly hear Pikachu’s cries and shocked screams of pure  _ agony  _ as the light surrounded him and  _ took him away _ .

 

Sonic would never stop running.

 

_ He stopped running. _

 

What was the limit? Would the light be happy with just them, or would it go after everyone else, too? Would Tails figure it out a moment too light, tails spinning rapidly but not rapid enough? Would Knuckles try to run, or would he try punching it? Would Amy know, know that he was already gone and there was nothing she could do?

 

What would happen to the chaos emeralds?

 

The light started warm, and then it  _ burned.  _ It burned from the inside out and he was tearing apart and  _ this was the one thing he couldn't run from. _

 

Sonic, as he would be quick to tell you, was good at a lot of things. Dying was not one of them.

 

“Guess I'll be seeing you, buddy,” Sonic said, thinking of Pikachu, and he took a step forward, broke into a run, and then suddenly thought of nothing at all.


End file.
